There’s a New Chief in Town: KC Tops Standings & Ticket Demand

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As the only undefeated team left in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs are the headliners of the NFL, becoming the only team in history to have bounced back from the worst record (4-12 last year), to the best record, at 7-0. Did anyone see that coming? The answer is, no. After crunching the numbers we found that the Chiefs had the second lowest ticket demand for the last half of the NFL calendar (Weeks 8-17) before the season started. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars were cheaper than the Chiefs, and no one is expecting them to break out of that mold just yet, but unlike their bottom-dwelling compatriots, the Chiefs have managed to pull the highest average price increase in the NFL. Boasting an astounding 80.52% upsurge in ticket prices for the last half of the season, the Chiefs are foremost in games, stats, fans, ticket revenue, and dare we mention—a shot at the Super Bowl?

Check out their climb from the bottom to the top after the jump.

With nine games left on the season, the Chiefs are no longer the underdogs, but have proven to be the real deal, outlasting the likes of the Broncos, Saints, Bears, Seahawks and Colts for a perfect record. Kansas City acquired former (fired) Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid (affectionately dubbed the Kool-Aid Man, after barreling into the locker room following a victory over the Houston Texans), and former starting quarterback from the San Francisco 49ers, Alex Smith, in what turned out to be a winning leadership combination. Smith effectively gets the ball to consistent running back Jamaal Charles to bolt it down the field (561 rushing yards and 7 TDs), and occasionally makes deep plays to Dwayne Bowe and Donnie Avery for a most efficient offensive force. But what is most undeniable, is Kansas City’s stalwart defense, arguably the best squad since the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, and they are certainly carrying the team now. Also leading the Chiefs to victory are their die-hard fans: the thunderous crowd, that seems to be growing more deafening with each win, broke the Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium in the world, ousting the Seattle Seahawks at 137.5 decibels, when they rammed the Oakland Raiders in Week 6.

Now the Chiefs need to tread carefully, because while a Super Bowl bid is indeed a possibility, KC hopefuls must remember they are up against a difficult AFC West Division and the stakes are higher than ever. Kansas City has been blessed with an easy schedule for the first half of this year (Jaguars, Raiders, Giants, Eagles), facilitating in their conquest to perfection; the Dallas Cowboys feasibly being their worthiest opponents up until this point. Aside from being pitted against the formidable San Diego Chargers and QB Philip River’s cannon of an arm, KC must subsequently overcome the Broncos—twice. The dominating Denver Broncos and living-legend Peyton Manning may have stumbled last week against the Indianapolis Colts, but they will prove to be the Chief’s preeminent foes, and the fans know it.

Even though the next closest team in increased ticket price is 50% away from the Chiefs, it (not so surprisingly) happens to come from AFC rivals, the Denver Broncos: their tickets saw the second highest surge for the second half of the season, jumping up 31.87%. The upcoming Broncos at Chiefs game on December 1 saw an increase in ticket price from $106 (preseason) to a whopping $249 (that’s a $143 jump!). It is the highest increased price for the remaining Arrowhead Stadium games, and prices are primed to rise. Alex Smith’s former team, the San Francisco 49ers are close behind, at a 30.89% climb. Tickets for the Chargers at Chiefs have risen to $128 on average for their November 24 matchup (up from $75). The Indianapolis Colts game holds the second highest rise at Arrowhead (up $54) to $139 for their December 22 contest. Interestingly enough, the Colts saw the third most significant decrease in average ticket price, despite having a great season: tickets are down 20% for Weeks 8-17. At first place in the AFC South, now would be the time to jump on the Andrew Luck train if you want to score modestly priced seats!

At the midway point, the Arrowhead Pride are one of the foremost trophy bucks in the NFL. After having been out of contention for nearly a decade, it’s no wonder the fans and athletes alike are hungry for a winning season. No longer are people wondering if the previously bottom-rung Chiefs are adequate playoff contenders, but rather, who might stop them on their road to this years ring. It’s no small wonder the Kansas City Chiefs have seen the highest ticket demand increase, who wouldn’t want to witness a miracle in the making?

Below are NFL ticket averages for the second half of the season (taken on 9/3 and 10/24), the Chiefs are cruising above the competition: